Man convicted in 2008 murder, armed robbery

A man charged in a 2008 murder and armed robbery in Broadmoor was convicted Thursday (Dec. 6) at the end of a nearly three-day trial.

Brent Braneon, 30, was convicted of killing 34-year-old Roy Wolfe on July 30, 2008, and robbing Wolfe’s cousin at gunpoint before the shooting. The jury deliberated 41 minutes before returning a verdict, District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office said.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Guillory said in opening statements Braneon and Alonzo Gonzales robbed Wolfe’s cousin and held him hostage for several hours inside a house the men were renovating in the 1700 block of South Lopez Street.

In a photo lineup the next morning, the robbery victim identified Braneon and Gonzales as the men who stole his cell phone at gunpoint and shot his cousin, Guillory said.

Ehle also noted Braneon wasn’t connected to the scene through any physical evidence, like DNA or fingerprints.

Braneon and Gonzales were convicted in July of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and sentenced to two years in prison with credit for time served. The jury could not reach a verdict on second-degree murder and armed robbery charges, and the state decided to re-try the men on those charges separately.

Gonzales is scheduled to face trial Feb. 18 on those charges and five counts of aggravated assault upon a police officer with a firearm.